Swedish-Dutch mezzo-soprano Helena van Heel boasts a repertoire stretching from Baroque to contemporary music, and she is praised for her natural purity, both vocal and expressive, which she displays in the great oratorios as well as in chamber music, song recitals and musical theatre.
Helena sang with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Phion and the North Netherlands Orchestra. She has worked with conductors Frans Brüggen, Eric Ericson, Reinbert de Leeuw, Peter Eötvös, Tõnu Kaljuste, Christoph Poppen and Risto Joost. Furthermore, Helena performed with the New European Ensemble, Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, Rietveld Ensemble, Barok Opera Amsterdam and Corelli Consort Tallinn, and collaborated with the Donaueschinger Musiktage, the Gergiev Festival and the Holland Festival.
New highlights are her own productions, combining existing compositions with works written especially for her by composers such as Jeff Hamburg, Max Knigge, Willem Boogman and Thomas Jennefelt. Since 2020, Helena van Heel has been artistic director of the Noorderklank Foundation, creating new music theatre productions such as An eye in the sea, based on the Greek myth about Ariadne and Theseus.
December 2018 saw the release of Helena's (Christmas) CD Ave maris stella and in 2021, on the Etcetera label, the CD Songs Along the Way featuring music by Jeff Hamburg and Gustaf Mahler, together with the New European Ensemble.
Also on the Etcetera label in 2022 was the CD Mein Liebeslied released. Helena recorded three song cycles with pianist Naomi Tamura: Berlioz, Les nuits d'été, Jennefelt, Sieben Liebeslieder (text Else Lasker-Schüler) and Mahler, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.
Helena van Heel, mezzo-soprano
Naomi Tamura, piano
The eccentric Berlin poet Else Lasker-Schüler (1869-1945) may not be as well known in the Netherlands as in Germany and Israel. Thomas Jennefelt was captivated by her expressive lyrics and in 2017 composed the cycle Sieben Liebeslieder About an intense love affair. Preceded by three of Lasker-Schüler's contemporaries - Zemlinsky, Gál and Korngold - with their equally expressive style. After the interval, another cycle about love, Frauenliebe und -leben by Robert Schumann.
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Helena van Heel, mezzo-soprano
Naomi Tamura, piano
The eccentric Berlin poet Else Lasker-Schüler (1869-1945) may not be as well known in the Netherlands as in Germany and Israel. Thomas Jennefelt was captivated by her expressive lyrics and in 2017 composed the cycle Sieben Liebeslieder About an intense love affair. This cycle was recently recorded by the duo van Heel/Tamura on the CD Mein Liebeslied (Etcetera). Before Jennefelt, three contemporaries of Lasker-Schüler are programmed - Zemlinsky, Gál and Korngold - with their equally expressive style. After the interval, you will hear carols by classical composers such as Grieg, Sibelius, Debussy, Fauré and Wolf.
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Helena van Heel, mezzo-soprano
Phyllis Ferwerda, piano
Helena and Phyllis met again after a long time at the International Song Festival Zeist. There they talked about the topicality of song, and about themes such as origins, homesickness, longing and destiny. And yes, also about getting older and staying young. This programme stems from this renewed acquaintance, and tells of “Es träumte mir ...”
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